Separable fastener



June 16, 1931. G. SUNDBACK SEPARABLE FASTENER Filed Nov. 11, 1929INVENTOR. G/a/ea/yfiundaak feonstruction of Figure 5.

Patented June 16, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I GIDEON SUNDBACK,-01? MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO. HOOKLZESS FAS- TENER COMPANY,OF MEADVILLE PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- .VANIA SEPARABLEFASTENER Original application filed September 22, 1926, Serial No.137,018, and in Great Britain .September22i1927.

niviaea and this application filed November 11, 1929. Serial no".406.2811.

This invention relates to separable fastener stringers particularly ofthe type adapted forsliderless operation and the'present appli cation isa division ofm'y co-pending ap- 5 p'lication Ser. No. 137,018 filedSeptember 22,

1926, Patent No. 1,746,565, granted February 11,,1930Q An object of thepresent invention is to provide an improved construction of theinterlocking members for a type of'multiple fastener adapted forsliderless operation.

Another object is toprovide an improved construction of the interlockingmembers in a f fastener of this type wherein a member on one stringer isarranged directly opposite a member on the other stringer to form aninterlockingpair.

A more specific object ofmy invention is 'toprovide an improvedconstruction of the interlocking members so that they may bemanufactured very easily from sheet .metaL Other objects and advantagesof my invention'will-appear more fully during the course of thefollowing specification.

bodiments which my'invention may assume inpractice. In these drawings; a

Figure 1 is a plan view of the fastenerof' my invention being closed bythe thumb and finger of an operator. Fig. 2 is-a ti ansverse sectionalView of the fastenerstringers.

Fig. 3 is a section extending longitudinally of the stringers through apair of locking members in interlocked relation.

, rFig. 4is a similarview of the members as they aregipproachinginterlocked relation.

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating the faces of theinterlocking members and showing a slightly modified stringerconstruction. Figure 6 is a transverse section similar to ;;;-Figu're 2but showing the modified stringer The separable fastener illustratedcomprises a pair of flexible strin' ers 6 and 7 adapted to be attachedto thee ges of a gap to be closed. A fastener of this type is partongues18 w ticularlyadapte'd for handbags, pouches and p In the accompanyingdrawings, I have similar articles where there are two flexible erablymade from a fiat piece of metal cut.

to proper length and bent inwardly at opposite ends as indicated at 12and 13 to provide clamping means for connecting the looking member toits flexible stringers. In Fig-. ure 2 the edges of the material and. 11are folded over as shown at 14 and 15 to extend under the inwardly bentportions 12 to provide a secure connection between the outer ends of thelocking members and the material of the stringers. J At the other end ofthe locking members, there are provided a pair of strips 16 and 17 whichare attached at 'one edge to the material 10 and 11- res ctively andwhich have their other ed es oubled over and turned under the en s 13 ofthe locking members. The body portions of the locking members, arrangedbetween the bent ends are preferably bent inwardly so as to --lieclosely against and parallel with the body portion of the oppositemember.

up at an acute angle from each of the locking members and arecess 19 isformed in An interlocking tongue 18 is cut out and bent I each memberadjacent such projection to proy vide means for receiving the projectionon an opposite locking member. As best shown in Figure 3, ,the lockingtongues are flattened out at their ends asindicated at'20 by a suit- 19may be made somewhat shorter than the locking'tongues- The ed es of eachofthe 1 recesses provide suitable s oulders 21 for interlockingengagement with the ends of the ereby the fastener is securely heltogether.

cated in Figure 4.

which may .coending application In the modification shown in Figures 5and 6 the sides 22 and 23 of a pocketbook, handbag or similar article,have their edges turned over at 24 and 25 respectively to formconnections with the inner ends of the locking members. A pair of stripsof material 26 and 27 are attached to the sides 22 and 23, respectively.These strips cover the locking members ofthe fastener and-have theirends 28 and 29 doubled over to connect with the outer ends of thelocking members.

In both forms of stringers, it will be noted that grooves 30 areprovided between the .bent ends of the lockingmembers to accomof thestringer in advance of his thumb and finger,vare well apart so that'thelocking members come together at an angle as indi-- Each of theinterlocking tongues 18 passes through an a rture 19 on the oppositemember and locks ehind one 'of the shoulders 21. One after'a-nother ofthe pairs of locking membersare thus interlocked progressively and whenthe thumb and finger reach the end of the stringer, the

. fastener is completely closed. Thereafter a pull on the edges of thematerial to which 7 the fastener is attached will not open the fastenerbut intended opening maybe very easily accomplished by simply beginning.at one end and tearing the fastener open.

As a result of my invention, it will be apparent that a novelconstruction of interlocking element has been provided especiallyadapted for that type of fastener where the locking members are securedto the inner faces of overlapping flexible stringers, leavin no metalexposed when the fastener is closed. It will be readily seen that thelooking member of my invention can be very easily and cheaplymanufactured out of sheet meta The feature of a smoot outer surface forslider operated fasteners is being claimed more broadly in my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 406,279, filed as a continuation in part of theabove mentioned application Serial No. 137,018, now Patent No. 1,746,565.

While I have in this application specifically shown and described onepreferred embodiment and. a modification thereof which my invention mayassume in-practice, it is to be distinctly understood that thisembodiment and modification are .merely for the purposes of illustrationand that various therewith an interlocking pair,

devised within the scope other forms may be defined the following of myinvention as claims.

,What I claim as my invention is 1. A separable fastener comprising apair of overlapping flexible locking members arranged on the inner faceof each of saidoverlapping stringers, said locking members being madefrom substantially flat strips of metal the body portions of which aresubstantially parallel to said inner faces, an interlocking projectionon each of said members of one series extending out from the face of thestringer at an acute, angle, and means on the other series of mem-- bersto receive and interlock with said projections.

2. A separable fastener comprising a pair of overlapping flexiblestringers having looking members arranged on their adjacent overlappingfaces each of said members comprising a substantially flat strip ofmetalhaving a body portion parallel with said stringer and bent toprovide'means for connection to said stringer, and an interlockingprojection comprising a tongue stamped out of thebody portion of saidstr'p. of metal and fitted into a recess cut out 0 th body portion onthe opposite adjacent, locking member.

3. A separable fastener comprising a pairof overlappingflexibleistringers having look ing members arranged on their adjacentover-- lapping faces each member on one stringer stringers, a series 0being arranged directly opposite a like memher on the opposite stringerand constituting an interlocking tongue on each ing at an acute angletherefrom and longitudinally of said stringers, and means on each ofsaid members to receive and interlock with the tongue on the oppositemember.

' 4. In a separable fastener, a pair of members of flexible material,cooperating fastener elements attached to the adjacent edges of saidmembers, and a separate flexible covering strip attached-to each of saidmembers adjacent said fastener elements, said covering strip extendingover and at all times lying closely against said fastener elements. 5.In a separable fastener, a pair of members of flexible material,cooperating metal fastener elements attached to and projecting from thelongitudinal edges of said members, and a thin covering strip offlexible material attached to each of said members adjacent'saidfastener elements, said covering strip of said members project-

